Medical sensor with flexible components and technique for using the same

- Covidien LP

According to various embodiments, a hat-based or headband sensor assembly may include thin or flexible optical sensing components, such as optical fibers or ultra thin emitters or detectors. In embodiments, the sensor assembly may be a hat-based sensor that includes a gripping region, for example on the inside of the hat band, to help secure the hat to a patient's head.

Skip to: Description  ·  Claims  ·  References Cited  · Patent History  ·  Patent History
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/165,269, filed Mar. 31, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to medical devices and, more particularly, to sensors used for sensing physiological parameters of a patient.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to aspects of the art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

In the field of medicine, doctors often desire to monitor certain physiological characteristics of their patients. Accordingly, a wide variety of devices have been developed for monitoring many such physiological characteristics. Such devices provide doctors and other healthcare personnel with the information they need to provide the best possible healthcare for their patients. As a result, such monitoring devices have become an indispensable part of modern medicine.

One technique for monitoring certain physiological characteristics of a patient is commonly referred to as pulse oximetry, and the devices built based upon pulse oximetry techniques are commonly referred to as pulse oximeters. Pulse oximetry may be used to measure various blood flow characteristics, such as the blood-oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in arterial blood, the volume of individual blood pulsations supplying the tissue, and/or the rate of blood pulsations corresponding to each heartbeat of a patient. In fact, the “pulse” in pulse oximetry refers to the time varying amount of arterial blood in the tissue during each cardiac cycle.

Pulse oximeters typically utilize a non-invasive sensor that transmits light through a patient's tissue and that photoelectrically detects the absorption and/or scattering of the transmitted light in such tissue. One or more of the above physiological characteristics may then be calculated based upon the amount of light absorbed or scattered. More specifically, the light passed through the tissue is typically selected to be of one or more wavelengths that may be absorbed or scattered by the blood in an amount correlative to the amount of the blood constituent present in the blood. The amount of light absorbed and/or scattered may then be used to estimate the amount of blood constituent in the tissue using various algorithms.

Pulse oximetry readings involve placement of a sensor on a patient's tissue, typically via a lightly adhesive sensor, a clip-style sensor, or a sensor that may be fitted into a wearable garment, such as a hat or a headband. With regard to the latter, if the hat or headband is not closely fitted to the patient's tissue, ambient light may interfere with the sensor's light detection. Some outside light infiltration into the sensor may be avoided by fitting the sensor snugly against the patient's tissue. However, such a conforming fit may be difficult to achieve over a range of patient physiologies without adjustment or excessive attention on the part of medical personnel. Additionally, an overly tight fit may cause local exsanguination of the tissue around the sensor. Exsanguinated tissue, which is devoid of blood, may shunt the sensor light through the tissue, which may also affect measurement accuracy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Advantages of the disclosure may become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a hat structure with multiple optical fibers for holding a medical sensor on a patient's tissue according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a headband-style sensor for holding a medical sensor on a patient's tissue according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of the interior of a hat structure with optical sensing components sewn or otherwise attached directly to the band of the hat according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of the interior of a hat structure with a recess in the hat band for holding optical sensing components according to an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a hat band with a gripping layer according to an embodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates a pulse oximetry system coupled to a multi-parameter patient monitor and a sensor according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a pulse oximetry system according to an embodiment.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

Medical sensors for applications utilizing spectrophotometry are provided therein that include optical components that conform closely to a patient's tissue. Such sensors may include sensors for pulse oximetry, tissue water fraction, tissue carbon dioxide, hematocrit, or glucose, or any combination thereof. In an embodiment, a hat-based pulse medical sensor assembly for neonatal patients may be configured to provide a conforming fit without uncomfortable pressure on the tissue. Because the accuracy of spectrophotometric sensors, such as pulse oximetry sensors, may be improved when the sensor is directly in contact with the skin, it may be desirable to avoid stiff or inflexible electrical or optical components that may interfere with the fit of the hat.

Hence, provided herein are flexible, wearable sensing assemblies that include optical components that may be woven into the fabric of the wearable sensor or applied directly to the fabric of the without stiff backing materials. In an embodiment, such sensor assemblies may include optical fibers that are woven into a fabric of the sensor assembly to transmit light into a patient's tissue and return light that has passed through the tissue and is representative of a physiological constituent. Also provided herein are sensor assemblies that include optical component backing materials that are thin and/or highly flexible. Such thin and/or highly flexible materials may also provide the advantage of having gripping properties without being adhesive. Sensor assemblies may also include thin and flexible optical components, such as ultrathin light emitters and photodetectors. In embodiments, the sensor assemblies may include optical components that are flush or substantially flush with the sensor body. For example, a hat band may include a pocket in which the optical components may be placed so that the surface that contacts the tissue is generally smooth or planar.

In an embodiment, a medical sensor, such as a sensor for pulse oximetry, may be adapted for placement in a hat (for example, a neonatal stocking cap), a headband, or other wearable structure (i.e. a glove, a sock, a wristband) to apply the sensor on the body of the user.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a sensor assembly 10 including a wearable structure, which may be a hat 12, as shown in FIG. 1. The optical components of the sensor may include optical fibers 16 that transmit light from a light emitter. The optical fibers are woven into the fabric of the hat 12. When the hat 12 is applied to the patient, the optical fibers come into contact with the skin and are able to transmit and receive light as part of a medical sensor assembly 10. As shown, the optical fibers 16 may be distributed throughout the hat, allowing for multiple sites of measurement. In embodiments, a monitor or downstream measurement device may receive signals related to multiple measurements from the sensor assembly 10 and may combine or otherwise analyze the results.

Also shown in FIG. 1 is a cable 20 for providing an electrical/optical connection for the optical fibers 16 to downstream light emitter(s) and photodetector(s) (not shown). FIG. 1 shows that the cable 20 is positioned through an opening 22 in the top 24 of the hat 12. In an embodiment, the cable 20 may be adhered or otherwise constrained in the hat 12 so that the cable generally is positioned away from the hat 12 to avoid interfering with the patient's eyesight or bothering the patient.

The optical fibers 16 may be single fibers or fiber bundles. The fibers or fiber bundles 16 may be formed from relatively flexible materials, for example a transparent plastic, such as poly(methyl methacrylate) or polystyrene with a fluoropolymer cladding. Examples of optical fibers 16 include single-mode fibers, multi-mode fibers, photonic-crystal fibers, hollow-core fibers, polarization-maintaining fibers and dual-clad fibers. Typical diameters for optical fibers 16 may be 5 to 1,000 micrometers.

In one embodiment, an individual optical fiber 16 may serve to emit light into tissue and receive the light reflected back by the tissue. In other words, each individual fiber 16 may transmit emitted light and receive reflected light. In an embodiment, a fiber bundle may include fibers that are dedicated emitting fibers (i.e., optically connected to a light source) and dedicated detecting fibers (i.e., optically connected to a photodetector). A hat 12 may be woven from an optical fiber fabric, such as Luminex® Fabric (Luminex S.P.A., Italy). In one particular implementation, the optical fibers 16 may be spaced apart within the hat 12 so alternating fibers 16 are dedicated emitting fibers and dedicated detecting fibers. In such an implementation, the spacing of the fibers 16 may reflect appropriate emitter-detector spacing for pulse oximetry applications, such as at least about 1 mm to at least about 14 mm spacing. In embodiments, the spacing may be 1 mm-8 mm or 2 mm-6 mm. For other types of medical sensors, such as water fraction sensors, the spacing distance may be larger or smaller, as appropriate.

In one implementation, the optical fibers 16 may be woven into the hat. For example, the optical fibers 16 may be woven such that generally run in the same direction, such as down the length of the hat from opening 22 towards hat band 26. The distal ends 28 of the optical fibers 16 may terminate in the band 26. It should be understood that a hat 12 as envisioned may not necessarily include a band 26. In embodiments, the hat 12 may simply include a distal opening 27, and the optical fibers 16 may terminate near or towards the distal opening 27. The optical fibers 16 may be notched, terminated, scribed, or modified, for example by a cutter during the weaving process, at an appropriate location in the hat band 26. At the top portion 24 of the hat 12, the proximal ends 30 of the optical fibers 16 may be gathered within cable 20 or may otherwise optically connect to an emitter and photodetector. During the weaving process, the proximal ends 30 of the optical fibers 16 may be left loose so that they may be later incorporated into the cable 20 or other optical connector.

While hat-based sensor assemblies 10 may generally be used on neonatal patients, adult patients may more typically wear forehead sensors that are applied directly to the forehead or sensors that are integrated into a headband. Hat-based sensors may be designed to apply light pressure to the head of an infant. In contrast, headband-based sensors may be designed to apply more pressure to the more robust tissue of an adult, which may facilitate a more conforming fit of the sensor and more accurate measurements. FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a headband-based sensor assembly 40. The headband-based sensor assembly 40 may include a strap or band 42 that may be fitted around a patient's forehead tissue to bring the optical fibers 16 with the tissue. The optical fibers 16 may be woven into the fabric of the band 42. In one embodiment, the band 42 may include indicators to position the distal ends 44a and 44b of the optical fibers 16 on a particular location on the patient's forehead, for example to position the distal ends 44a and 44b on the lower forehead region, above the eyebrow, above and predominantly lateral to or centered over the iris. The location of the distal ends 44a and 44b within the band 42 facilitate appropriate placement of the optical sensing components in the desired forehead location by a user. In addition, the headband-based sensor assembly 40 may include one or more alignment indices 42, for example a printed design on the band 42 visible to the caregiver, to assist in the proper placement of the distal ends 44a and 44b of the optical fibers 16 on the patient's forehead.

In addition to using optical fibers 16 to deliver light to a patient's tissue, similar advantages (e.g., flexible optical components) may be realized by fabricating the optical components, without stiff backing materials. In an embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a hat assembly 50 may include sensing components, e.g., an emitter 60 and a detector 62, that may be applied directly to the fabric surface of the hat 12. The emitter 60 and the detector 62 may be adhered to the interior, tissue-contacting, surface 64 of the hat band. In addition, leads 56 and 58 connecting the emitter 60 and the detector 62 to the cable 20 may be adhered to or woven into the fabric of the hat 12. In embodiments in which additional electrical shielding may be desirable, the emitter 60 and the detector 62 may be glued or otherwise adhered onto thin wire mesh or other thin and flexible backings 66 and 68, respectively, which may in turn be adhered to the band 26 of the hat 12. In embodiments, flexible backings 66 and 68 may be formed from any thin and flexible material, for example any flexible material less than 5 mm in thickness, less than 1 mm in thickness, or less than 0.5 mm in thickness. The material may be sufficiently flexible to conform easily to a patient's tissue.

In certain embodiments, the sensing components themselves may be formed from thin and/or flexible materials. For example, leads 56 and 58 may be formed from thin and flexible shielded wires. The emitter 60 may be an ultra-thin LED, such as a 0.25 mm LED, available from Kingbright (City of Industry, Calif.). The detector 62 may be an ultra thin-film metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector. In embodiments, the emitter 60 and the detector 62 may protrude less than about 1 mm, or less than about 0.5 mm from the interior surface 64 of the hat band 26. In certain embodiments, the emitter 60 and the detector 62 may protrude about 0.25 mm to about 1 mm from the interior surface 64 of the hat band 26.

A sensor assembly may also include structures, such as a pocket in the fabric, to allow the sensing components to lie flush or substantially flush against the interior surface of the hat band, which may facilitate a conforming fit against the tissue. In turn, this conforming fit may improve measurement accuracy, for example by reducing light being shunted from an emitter 60 to a detector 62. As shown in FIG. 4, a hat assembly 70 may include a buttonhole or other pocket 76 formed on the interior surface 64 of the hat band 26 that may be sized and shaped to accommodate the emitter 60 and the detector 62. In such embodiments, the emitter 60 and the detector 62 may be disposed on a thin and flexible backing, such as a fabric or paper backing 78 that is sized and shaped to fit into pocket 76 and may provide shielding to the emitter 60 and the detector 62. It should be understood that the pocket 76 may be sufficiently deep so that the emitter 60 and the detector 62 may not substantially protrude from the interior surface 64 of the hat band 26. In embodiments, the backing 78 may assist in positioning the emitter 60 and the detector 62 to lie flush with the interior surface 64 of the hat band 26.

The sensor assemblies as provided may include addition features to facilitate a secure and comfortable fit while also maintaining relatively flexible arrangements of optical sensing components. A sensor assembly 72 may include a gripping portion 74, which may be a layer applied to the interior of the hat band 26, as shown in cross-section in FIG. 5. The emitter 60 and the detector 62 may be adhered or otherwise secured to the gripping portion 74. The gripping portion 74 may be applied to the interior of a hat band 26 such that the tissue-contacting surface 76 of the gripping portion 74 may facilitate holding the sensor assembly 72 on the tissue. For example, a suitable gripping portion 74 may be made of plastic, rubber, silicone, vinyl, or woven material. In an embodiment, the gripping portion may be a relatively thin, flexible material such as Super Grip® Easy Liner® (Henkel) that is disposed on the interior of the hat 12, such as on the hat band 26.

The gripping portion 74 may be thin and highly flexible, while also having properties such as a high coefficient of friction that may help hold the emitter 60 and the detector 62 in place. In certain embodiments, the gripping portion 74 is formed from a material that has a relatively large static coefficient of friction. A material with a large static coefficient of friction helps to keep sensor stable relative to the skin as a patient moves. The static coefficient of friction of a material may be tested using the following procedure: (1) Attach a protractor to a vertical wall with the center in line with the edge of a table. (2) Set up a stop block at the edge of the table to act as a pivot point for a glass plate. (3) Place the glass plate flat on the table with one edge along the edge of the table, up against the stop block. (4) Place a test sample of the material on the glass plate. (5) Lift the free edge of the glass plate until the test sample just starts to slip. (6) Record angle at which slippage first occurred. This angle is the angle of repose. Then calculate the coefficient of friction, which is the tangent of the angle of repose. The static coefficient of friction for gripping portion 74 may greater than 10. In certain embodiments, the static coefficient of friction for gripping portion 74 may be greater than 100. The gripping portion 74 may be a material that has a high static coefficient of friction relative to glass, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam. In embodiments, it may be desirable to calculate a static coefficient of friction of a material relative to a patient's skin. In certain embodiment, the gripping portion 74 has a static coefficient of friction greater than 5 with respect to a patient's skin

The foregoing sensors and sensor assemblies provided herein may be used in conjunction with any suitable medical device. A sensor or sensor assembly, illustrated generically as a sensor assembly 10, may be used in conjunction with a pulse oximetry monitor 90, as illustrated in FIG. 6. It should be appreciated that the cable 20 of the sensor assembly 10 may be coupled to the monitor 90 or it may be coupled to a transmission device to facilitate wireless transmission between the sensor assembly 10 and the monitor 90. The monitor 90 may be any suitable pulse oximeter, such as those available from Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC. Furthermore, to upgrade conventional pulse oximetry provided by the monitor 90 to provide additional functions, the monitor 90 may be coupled to a multi-parameter patient monitor 92 via a cable 94 connected to a sensor input port or via a cable 96 connected to a digital communication port.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a monitor 90 that may be configured to implement the embodiments of the present disclosure. Light from optical fiber 16 (or, in embodiments in which optical fibers 16 are not used, light directly from emitter 60) may pass into a blood perfused tissue, and may be scattered, and then detected by detector 62, which may be coupled to one or more optical fibers 16. A sensor assembly 10 including optical fibers 16 (or, in embodiments, an emitter 60 and a detector 62) may also contain an encoder 100 which may be capable of providing signals indicative of the wavelength(s) of light source 60 to allow the oximeter to select appropriate calibration coefficients for calculating oxygen saturation. The encoder 100 may, in an embodiment, be a resistor or may be a storage device, such as a memory.

In an embodiment, the sensor assembly 10 may be connected to a pulse oximetry monitor 90. The monitor 90 may include a microprocessor 102 coupled to an internal bus 104. Also connected to the bus may be a RAM memory 106 and a display 108. A time processing unit (TPU) 110 may provide timing control signals to light drive circuitry 112, which controls when the emitter 60 is activated, and if multiple light sources are used the multiplexed timing for the different light sources. TPU 110 may also control the gating-in of signals from detector 62 through an amplifier 113 and a switching circuit 114. These signals are sampled at the proper time, depending at least in part upon which of multiple light sources is activated, if multiple light sources are used. The received signal from the detector 62 may be passed through an amplifier 116, a low pass filter 118, and an analog-to-digital converter 120. The digital data may then be stored in a queued serial module (QSM) 122, for later downloading to RAM 106 or ROM 126 as QSM 122 fills up.

In an embodiment, based at least in part upon the received signals corresponding to the light received by detector 62, microprocessor 122 may calculate the oxygen saturation using any suitable algorithm. Such algorithms may use coefficients, which may be empirically determined, and may correspond to the wavelengths of light used. The algorithms may be stored in a ROM 126 and accessed and operated according to microprocessor 122 instructions. For example, the encoder 100 may communicate with decoder 128 to allow the microprocessor 122 to determine the appropriate coefficients.

In an embodiment of a two-wavelength system, the particular set of coefficients chosen for any pair of wavelength spectra may be determined by a value indicated by the encoder 100 corresponding to a particular light source in a particular sensor assembly 10. In one embodiment, multiple resistor values may be assigned to select different sets of coefficients. In another embodiment, the same resistors are used to select from among the coefficients appropriate for an infrared source paired with either a near red source or far red source. The selection between whether the near red or far red set will be chosen can be selected with a control input from control inputs 134. Control inputs 134 may be, for instance, a switch on the pulse oximeter, a keyboard, or a port providing instructions from a remote host computer. Furthermore, any number of methods or algorithms may be used to determine a patient's pulse rate, oxygen saturation or any other desired physiological parameter.

The sensor assembly 10 may be connected to or include an emitter 60 and a detector 62 that may be of any suitable type. For example, the emitter 60 may be one or more light emitting diodes adapted to transmit one or more wavelengths of light in the red to infrared range, and the detector 62 may one or more photodetectors selected to receive light in the range or ranges emitted from the emitter 60. Alternatively, an emitter 60 may also be a laser diode or a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). Alternatively, a sensor assembly 10 may sense light detected from the tissue is at a different wavelength from the light emitted into the tissue. Such sensors may be adapted to sense fluorescence, phosphorescence, Raman scattering, Rayleigh scattering and multi-photon events or photoacoustic effects.

For pulse oximetry applications using either transmission or reflectance type sensors the oxygen saturation of the patient's arterial blood may be determined using two or more wavelengths of light, most commonly red and near infrared wavelengths. Similarly, in other applications, a tissue water fraction (or other body fluid related metric) or a concentration of one or more biochemical components in an aqueous environment may be measured using two or more wavelengths of light, most commonly near infrared wavelengths between about 1,000 nm to about 2,500 nm. It should be understood that, as used herein, the term “light” may refer to one or more of ultrasound, radio, microwave, millimeter wave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, gamma ray or X-ray electromagnetic radiation, and may also include any wavelength within the radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, or X-ray spectra.

Reflectance type sensors also operate by emitting light into the tissue and detecting the light that is transmitted and scattered by the tissue. However, reflectance type sensors include an emitter 60 and detector 62 that are typically placed on the same side of the sensor site. Alternatively, side-by-side optical fibers 16 or a single multi-mode optical fiber 16 may be used for reflectance measurements. For example, a reflectance type sensor may be placed on a patient's fingertip or forehead such that the emitter 60 and detector 62 lie side-by-side. Reflectance type sensors detect light photons that are scattered back to the detector 62. A sensor assembly 10 may also be a “transflectance” sensor, such as a sensor that may subtend a portion of a baby's heel. In embodiments, contemplated sensor assemblies may be sock-type or glove-type assemblies.

While the disclosure may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the embodiments provided herein are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Indeed, the disclosed embodiments may not only be applied to measurements of blood oxygen saturation, but these techniques may also be utilized for the measurement and/or analysis of other blood constituents. For example, using the same, different, or additional wavelengths, the present techniques may be utilized for the measurement and/or analysis of carboxyhemoglobin, met-hemoglobin, total hemoglobin, fractional hemoglobin, intravascular dyes, and/or water content. Rather, the various embodiments may cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the following appended claims.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a fabric or woven stocking cap;
a gripping portion disposed in a band region of the stocking cap comprising a tissue-contacting surface;
an emitter disposed on the gripping portion, wherein the emitter is configured to emit a light into a forehead region of the patient's head;
a detector disposed on the gripping portion, wherein the detector is configured to detect the light;
a first lead coupled to the emitter;
a second lead coupled to the detector; and
a cable extending from an opening in a top portion of the stocking cap and terminating in the band region, wherein the cable is coupled to the first lead and the second lead at a point spaced apart from the gripping portion.

2. The sensor of 1, wherein the gripping portion has a static coefficient of friction greater than 10.

3. The sensor of 1, wherein the gripping portion is disposed on an interior surface of a band of the stocking cap.

4. The sensor of 1, wherein the emitter and the detector are substantially flush with the tissue-contacting surface of the stocking cap.

5. A sensor comprising:

a fabric or woven stocking cap;
a substrate disposed in a band region of the stocking cap on a tissue-contacting surface;
an emitter disposed on the substrate, wherein the emitter is configured to emit a light into a forehead region of the patient's head;
a detector disposed on the substrate, wherein the detector is configured to detect the light;
a first lead coupled to the emitter and extending outwardly from the substrate;
a second lead coupled to the detector extending outwardly from the substrate; and
a cable extending from an opening in a top portion of the stocking cap to the band region, wherein the cable is coupled to the first lead and the second lead in the band region at a location spaced apart from the substrate.

6. The sensor of claim 5, wherein the emitter comprises an ultra-thin LED and the detector comprises an ultra thin-film metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector.

7. The sensor of claim 5, wherein the first lead and the second lead are adhered to the stocking cap.

8. The sensor of claim 5, wherein the first lead and the second lead are woven into the stocking cap.

9. The sensor of claim 5, wherein the first and second leads comprise flexible shielded wires.

10. The sensor of claim 5, comprising a gripping portion disposed on the tissue-contacting surface.

11. The sensor of claim 10, wherein the gripping portion has a static coefficient of friction greater than 10.

Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4025733 May 24, 1977 Klar et al.
4047400 September 13, 1977 Thorneburg
4462116 July 31, 1984 Sanzone et al.
4499741 February 19, 1985 Harris
4510938 April 16, 1985 Jobsis et al.
4570638 February 18, 1986 Stoddart et al.
4675919 June 30, 1987 Heine et al.
4685464 August 11, 1987 Goldberger et al.
4739757 April 26, 1988 Edwards
4775116 October 4, 1988 Klein
4784162 November 15, 1988 Ricks et al.
4802485 February 7, 1989 Bowers et al.
4833734 May 30, 1989 Der Estephanian
4838279 June 13, 1989 Fore
4856116 August 15, 1989 Sullivan
4890619 January 2, 1990 Hatschek
4910804 March 27, 1990 Lidgren
4918758 April 24, 1990 Rendina
4930888 June 5, 1990 Freisleben et al.
4942877 July 24, 1990 Sakai et al.
4972331 November 20, 1990 Chance
4977011 December 11, 1990 Smith
4991234 February 12, 1991 Greenberg
4996975 March 5, 1991 Nakamura
5005374 April 9, 1991 Spitler et al.
5054488 October 8, 1991 Muz
5080096 January 14, 1992 Hooper et al.
5080098 January 14, 1992 Willett et al.
H1039 April 7, 1992 Tripp, Jr. et al.
5111817 May 12, 1992 Clark et al.
5119815 June 9, 1992 Chance
5122974 June 16, 1992 Chance
5125403 June 30, 1992 Culp
5167230 December 1, 1992 Chance
5188108 February 23, 1993 Secker
5191891 March 9, 1993 Righter
5214409 May 25, 1993 Beigel
5217013 June 8, 1993 Lewis et al.
5224478 July 6, 1993 Sakai et al.
5237994 August 24, 1993 Goldberger et al.
5241300 August 31, 1993 Buschmann
5246003 September 21, 1993 DeLonzor
5253645 October 19, 1993 Friedman et al.
5263244 November 23, 1993 Centa et al.
5267563 December 7, 1993 Swedlow et al.
5267567 December 7, 1993 Aung et al.
5295490 March 22, 1994 Dodakian
5313940 May 24, 1994 Fuse et al.
5337744 August 16, 1994 Brianigan
5348008 September 20, 1994 Bornn et al.
5353798 October 11, 1994 Sieben
5354979 October 11, 1994 Adelson et al.
5357953 October 25, 1994 Merrick et al.
5368025 November 29, 1994 Young et al.
5368562 November 29, 1994 Blomquist et al.
5383874 January 24, 1995 Jackson et al.
5392777 February 28, 1995 Swedlow et al.
5398689 March 21, 1995 Connor et al.
5400267 March 21, 1995 Denen et al.
5405269 April 11, 1995 Stupecky
5405614 April 11, 1995 D'Angelo et al.
5413101 May 9, 1995 Sugiura
5413102 May 9, 1995 Schmidt et al.
5415166 May 16, 1995 Imran
5427093 June 27, 1995 Ogawa et al.
5431170 July 11, 1995 Mathews
5437275 August 1, 1995 Amundsen et al.
5437634 August 1, 1995 Amano
5438986 August 8, 1995 Disch et al.
5444254 August 22, 1995 Thomson
5451763 September 19, 1995 Pickett et al.
5469845 November 28, 1995 DeLonzor et al.
5482034 January 9, 1996 Lewis et al.
5490523 February 13, 1996 Isaacson et al.
5528519 June 18, 1996 Ohkura et al.
5546955 August 20, 1996 Wilk
5551423 September 3, 1996 Sugiura
5562718 October 8, 1996 Palermo
5564108 October 8, 1996 Hunsaker et al.
5564417 October 15, 1996 Chance
5584296 December 17, 1996 Cui et al.
5592408 January 7, 1997 Keskin et al.
5596987 January 28, 1997 Chance
5617865 April 8, 1997 Palczewska et al.
5617866 April 8, 1997 Marian, Jr.
5627323 May 6, 1997 Stern
5634466 June 3, 1997 Gruner
5638593 June 17, 1997 Gerhardt et al.
5640953 June 24, 1997 Bishop et al.
5645440 July 8, 1997 Tobler et al.
5645586 July 8, 1997 Meltzer
5646416 July 8, 1997 Van De Velde
5671750 September 30, 1997 Shinoda
5673708 October 7, 1997 Athanasiou et al.
5680857 October 28, 1997 Pelikan et al.
5681285 October 28, 1997 Ford et al.
5683434 November 4, 1997 Archer
5697363 December 16, 1997 Hart
5697367 December 16, 1997 Lewis et al.
5701894 December 30, 1997 Cherry et al.
5706820 January 13, 1998 Hossack et al.
5709205 January 20, 1998 Bukta
5732475 March 31, 1998 Sacks et al.
5738612 April 14, 1998 Tsuda
5743856 April 28, 1998 Oka et al.
5743857 April 28, 1998 Shinoda et al.
5752913 May 19, 1998 Oka
5752920 May 19, 1998 Ogura et al.
5758644 June 2, 1998 Diab et al.
5772601 June 30, 1998 Oka et al.
5776058 July 7, 1998 Levinson et al.
5776071 July 7, 1998 Inukai et al.
5779631 July 14, 1998 Chance
5779639 July 14, 1998 Yeung
5782757 July 21, 1998 Diab et al.
5786592 July 28, 1998 Hök
5791347 August 11, 1998 Flaherty et al.
5791348 August 11, 1998 Aung et al.
5792052 August 11, 1998 Isaacson et al.
5792058 August 11, 1998 Lee et al.
5797841 August 25, 1998 Delonzor et al.
5810724 September 22, 1998 Gronvall
5813980 September 29, 1998 Levinson et al.
5823012 October 20, 1998 Hacskaylo
5823952 October 20, 1998 Levinson et al.
5826277 October 27, 1998 McConville
5830137 November 3, 1998 Scharf et al.
5830148 November 3, 1998 Inukai et al.
5830149 November 3, 1998 Oka et al.
5833602 November 10, 1998 Osemwota
5836887 November 17, 1998 Oka et al.
5839439 November 24, 1998 Nierlich et al.
RE36000 December 22, 1998 Swedlow et al.
5842981 December 1, 1998 Larsen et al.
5842982 December 1, 1998 Mannheimer
5851179 December 22, 1998 Ritson et al.
5857974 January 12, 1999 Eberle et al.
5860932 January 19, 1999 Goto et al.
5860957 January 19, 1999 Jacobsen et al.
5868133 February 9, 1999 DeVries et al.
5870626 February 9, 1999 Lebeau
5872713 February 16, 1999 Douglas et al.
5873821 February 23, 1999 Chance et al.
5879294 March 9, 1999 Anderson et al.
5891021 April 6, 1999 Dillon et al.
5895359 April 20, 1999 Peel
5902235 May 11, 1999 Lewis et al.
5906581 May 25, 1999 Tsuda
5916154 June 29, 1999 Hobbs et al.
5931790 August 3, 1999 Peel
5931791 August 3, 1999 Saltzstein et al.
5934925 August 10, 1999 Tobler et al.
5936539 August 10, 1999 Fuchs
5947905 September 7, 1999 Hadjicostis et al.
5954053 September 21, 1999 Chance et al.
5957850 September 28, 1999 Marian, Jr. et al.
5964701 October 12, 1999 Asada et al.
5980464 November 9, 1999 Tsuda
5983129 November 9, 1999 Cowan et al.
5987343 November 16, 1999 Kinast
5987351 November 16, 1999 Chance
5991648 November 23, 1999 Levin
5995077 November 30, 1999 Wilcox et al.
5995855 November 30, 1999 Kiani et al.
5995856 November 30, 1999 Mannheimer et al.
5995857 November 30, 1999 Toomim et al.
5999834 December 7, 1999 Wang et al.
6007492 December 28, 1999 Goto et al.
6011986 January 4, 2000 Diab et al.
6022320 February 8, 2000 Ogura et al.
6027453 February 22, 2000 Miwa et al.
6030351 February 29, 2000 Schmidt et al.
6031603 February 29, 2000 Fine et al.
6036651 March 14, 2000 Inukai et al.
6041247 March 21, 2000 Weckstrom et al.
6047201 April 4, 2000 Jackson
6047203 April 4, 2000 Sackner et al.
6049958 April 18, 2000 Eberle et al.
6050951 April 18, 2000 Friedman et al.
6052619 April 18, 2000 John
6084380 July 4, 2000 Burton
6085752 July 11, 2000 Kehr et al.
6106780 August 22, 2000 Douglas et al.
6115621 September 5, 2000 Chin
6118382 September 12, 2000 Hibbs et al.
6134459 October 17, 2000 Roberts et al.
6144868 November 7, 2000 Parker
6149481 November 21, 2000 Wang et al.
6152754 November 28, 2000 Gerhardt et al.
6154667 November 28, 2000 Miura et al.
6162188 December 19, 2000 Barnea
6165173 December 26, 2000 Kamdar et al.
6171258 January 9, 2001 Katakasoglu et al.
6173196 January 9, 2001 Delonzor et al.
6179786 January 30, 2001 Young
6181959 January 30, 2001 Schollermann et al.
6184521 February 6, 2001 Coffin, IV et al.
6186953 February 13, 2001 Narimatsu
6186954 February 13, 2001 Narimatsu
6190325 February 20, 2001 Narimatsu
6195575 February 27, 2001 Levinson
6196974 March 6, 2001 Miwa
6198952 March 6, 2001 Miesel
6199550 March 13, 2001 Wiesmann et al.
6209144 April 3, 2001 Carter
6213952 April 10, 2001 Finarov et al.
6216021 April 10, 2001 Franceschini et al.
6223063 April 24, 2001 Chaiken et al.
6241680 June 5, 2001 Miwa
6248083 June 19, 2001 Smith et al.
6251076 June 26, 2001 Hovland et al.
6251080 June 26, 2001 Henkin et al.
6251081 June 26, 2001 Narimatsu
6251113 June 26, 2001 Appelbaum et al.
6253098 June 26, 2001 Walker et al.
6256523 July 3, 2001 Diab et al.
6256524 July 3, 2001 Walker et al.
6263221 July 17, 2001 Chance et al.
6263223 July 17, 2001 Shepherd et al.
6280213 August 28, 2001 Tobler et al.
6282450 August 28, 2001 Hartlaub et al.
6283922 September 4, 2001 Goto et al.
6285895 September 4, 2001 Ristolainen et al.
6306076 October 23, 2001 Gill
6308089 October 23, 2001 von der Ruhr et al.
6321100 November 20, 2001 Parker
6322516 November 27, 2001 Masuda et al.
6343223 January 29, 2002 Chin et al.
6343224 January 29, 2002 Parker
6346886 February 12, 2002 De La Huerga
6349228 February 19, 2002 Kiani et al.
6356774 March 12, 2002 Bernstein et al.
6362622 March 26, 2002 Stauber et al.
6368282 April 9, 2002 Oka et al.
6370411 April 9, 2002 Osadchy et al.
6377829 April 23, 2002 Al-Ali
6381480 April 30, 2002 Stoddart et al.
6381481 April 30, 2002 Levendowski et al.
6385486 May 7, 2002 John et al.
6387092 May 14, 2002 Burnside et al.
6388240 May 14, 2002 Schulz et al.
6397091 May 28, 2002 Diab et al.
6405075 June 11, 2002 Levin
6416471 July 9, 2002 Kumar et al.
6416474 July 9, 2002 Penner et al.
6417774 July 9, 2002 Hibbs et al.
6423010 July 23, 2002 Friedman et al.
6430423 August 6, 2002 DeLonzor et al.
6432050 August 13, 2002 Porat et al.
6450168 September 17, 2002 Nguyen
6450957 September 17, 2002 Yoshimi et al.
6450981 September 17, 2002 Shabty et al.
6454708 September 24, 2002 Ferguson et al.
6461305 October 8, 2002 Schnall
6463310 October 8, 2002 Swedlow et al.
6466809 October 15, 2002 Riley
6468241 October 22, 2002 Gelfand et al.
6470199 October 22, 2002 Kopotic et al.
6470279 October 22, 2002 Samsoondar
6480762 November 12, 2002 Uchikubo et al.
6491638 December 10, 2002 Oka
6491639 December 10, 2002 Turcott
6503087 January 7, 2003 Eggert et al.
6503204 January 7, 2003 Sumanaweera et al.
6505061 January 7, 2003 Larson
6511478 January 28, 2003 Burnside et al.
6516289 February 4, 2003 David
6524257 February 25, 2003 Ogura
6525386 February 25, 2003 Mills et al.
6526309 February 25, 2003 Chance
6526970 March 4, 2003 DeVries et al.
6527725 March 4, 2003 Inukai et al.
6527726 March 4, 2003 Goto et al.
6535765 March 18, 2003 Amely-Velez et al.
6537220 March 25, 2003 Friemel et al.
6541756 April 1, 2003 Schulz et al.
6542081 April 1, 2003 Torch
6547742 April 15, 2003 Oka et al.
6547743 April 15, 2003 Brydon
6551252 April 22, 2003 Sackner et al.
6553242 April 22, 2003 Sarussi
6553243 April 22, 2003 Gurley
6575902 June 10, 2003 Burton
6575904 June 10, 2003 Nagai et al.
6580086 June 17, 2003 Schulz et al.
6582371 June 24, 2003 Miller
6582374 June 24, 2003 Yokozeki
6584356 June 24, 2003 Wassmund et al.
6589171 July 8, 2003 Keirsbilck
6589183 July 8, 2003 Yokozeki
6589189 July 8, 2003 Meyerson et al.
6594513 July 15, 2003 Jobsis et al.
6594518 July 15, 2003 Benaron et al.
6596016 July 22, 2003 Vreman et al.
6597933 July 22, 2003 Kiani et al.
6605038 August 12, 2003 Teller et al.
6606512 August 12, 2003 Muz et al.
6606993 August 19, 2003 Wiesmann et al.
6611793 August 26, 2003 Burnside et al.
6615065 September 2, 2003 Barrett et al.
6635048 October 21, 2003 Ullestad et al.
6640116 October 28, 2003 Diab
6645154 November 11, 2003 Oka
6645155 November 11, 2003 Inukai et al.
6653557 November 25, 2003 Wolf et al.
6654622 November 25, 2003 Eberhard et al.
6662033 December 9, 2003 Casciani et al.
6666860 December 23, 2003 Takahashi
6671531 December 30, 2003 Al-Ali et al.
6671545 December 30, 2003 Fincke
6678543 January 13, 2004 Diab et al.
6681454 January 27, 2004 Modgil et al.
6684091 January 27, 2004 Parker
6694160 February 17, 2004 Chin
6695806 February 24, 2004 Gelfand et al.
6700497 March 2, 2004 Hibbs et al.
6704601 March 9, 2004 Amely-Velez et al.
6708048 March 16, 2004 Chance
6711425 March 23, 2004 Reuss
6712767 March 30, 2004 Hossack et al.
6721585 April 13, 2004 Parker
6721602 April 13, 2004 Engmark et al.
6725075 April 20, 2004 Al-Ali
6726327 April 27, 2004 Torrey et al.
6735459 May 11, 2004 Parker
6736759 May 18, 2004 Stubbs et al.
6736786 May 18, 2004 Shabty et al.
6743173 June 1, 2004 Penner et al.
6743202 June 1, 2004 Hirschman et al.
6745061 June 1, 2004 Hicks et al.
6748262 June 8, 2004 Harada et al.
6749567 June 15, 2004 Davis
6755789 June 29, 2004 Stringer et al.
6758808 July 6, 2004 Paul
6763255 July 13, 2004 DeLonzor et al.
6767330 July 27, 2004 Lavery
6771994 August 3, 2004 Kiani et al.
6776758 August 17, 2004 Peszynski et al.
6779257 August 24, 2004 Kiepen et al.
6785568 August 31, 2004 Chance
6792300 September 14, 2004 Diab et al.
6796946 September 28, 2004 Ogura et al.
6801799 October 5, 2004 Mendelson
6804543 October 12, 2004 Miller et al.
6804558 October 12, 2004 Haller et al.
6808496 October 26, 2004 Oka et al.
6811538 November 2, 2004 Westbrook et al.
6813511 November 2, 2004 Diab et al.
6824520 November 30, 2004 Orr et al.
6827688 December 7, 2004 Goto et al.
6829003 December 7, 2004 Takami
6830711 December 14, 2004 Mills et al.
6832987 December 21, 2004 David et al.
6842722 January 11, 2005 David
6847294 January 25, 2005 Lin et al.
6849074 February 1, 2005 Chen et al.
6853304 February 8, 2005 Reisman et al.
6870479 March 22, 2005 Gabriel
6875176 April 5, 2005 Mourad et al.
6877511 April 12, 2005 DeVries et al.
6893400 May 17, 2005 Kawaguchi et al.
6898299 May 24, 2005 Brooks
6899682 May 31, 2005 Eberle et al.
6899684 May 31, 2005 Mault et al.
6904124 June 7, 2005 Staver et al.
6907284 June 14, 2005 Hamilton et al.
6909912 June 21, 2005 Melker
6911027 June 28, 2005 Edwards et al.
6915167 July 5, 2005 Splett et al.
6920345 July 19, 2005 Al-Ali et al.
6921198 July 26, 2005 Gruszecki et al.
6923771 August 2, 2005 Ogura et al.
6923776 August 2, 2005 Shabty et al.
6930608 August 16, 2005 Grajales et al.
6934570 August 23, 2005 Kiani et al.
6934571 August 23, 2005 Wiesmann et al.
6936011 August 30, 2005 Sheldon
6938488 September 6, 2005 Diaz et al.
6939314 September 6, 2005 Hall et al.
6943881 September 13, 2005 Wang
6944498 September 13, 2005 Owen et al.
6952870 October 11, 2005 Miller
6955650 October 18, 2005 Mault et al.
6965071 November 15, 2005 Watchko et al.
6971790 December 6, 2005 Quinn et al.
6979329 December 27, 2005 Burnside et al.
6985763 January 10, 2006 Boas et al.
6985764 January 10, 2006 Mason et al.
6990371 January 24, 2006 Powers et al.
6993371 January 31, 2006 Kiani et al.
6995665 February 7, 2006 Appelt et al.
7001334 February 21, 2006 Reed et al.
7017420 March 28, 2006 Kalvesten et al.
7018338 March 28, 2006 Vetter et al.
7019392 March 28, 2006 Iwasaki
7020508 March 28, 2006 Stivoric et al.
7024235 April 4, 2006 Melker et al.
7027850 April 11, 2006 Wasserman
7027871 April 11, 2006 Burnes et al.
7033316 April 25, 2006 Takahashi
7039449 May 2, 2006 Al-Ali
7041121 May 9, 2006 Williams et al.
7047054 May 16, 2006 Benni
7047055 May 16, 2006 Boas et al.
7047056 May 16, 2006 Hannula et al.
7048687 May 23, 2006 Reuss et al.
7052509 May 30, 2006 Lennox
7054453 May 30, 2006 Causevic et al.
7054454 May 30, 2006 Causevic et al.
7063669 June 20, 2006 Brawner et al.
7067893 June 27, 2006 Mills et al.
7072704 July 4, 2006 Bucholz
7079036 July 18, 2006 Cooper et al.
7081128 July 25, 2006 Hart et al.
7085597 August 1, 2006 Fein et al.
7087023 August 8, 2006 Daft et al.
7089061 August 8, 2006 Grey
7096052 August 22, 2006 Mason et al.
7096054 August 22, 2006 Abdul-Hafiz et al.
7097621 August 29, 2006 Narimatsu et al.
7107706 September 19, 2006 Bailey
7108659 September 19, 2006 Ross
7112196 September 26, 2006 Brosch et al.
RE39359 October 17, 2006 McGraw et al.
7122005 October 17, 2006 Shusterman
7125383 October 24, 2006 Hoctor et al.
7127278 October 24, 2006 Melker et al.
7132641 November 7, 2006 Schulz et al.
7136452 November 14, 2006 Spartiotis et al.
7158822 January 2, 2007 Payne, Jr.
7160284 January 9, 2007 Ullestad et al.
7161484 January 9, 2007 Tsoukalis
7164938 January 16, 2007 Geddes et al.
7167743 January 23, 2007 Heruth et al.
7171251 January 30, 2007 Sarussi et al.
7179228 February 20, 2007 Banet
7181264 February 20, 2007 Wiesmann et al.
7181505 February 20, 2007 Haller et al.
7190986 March 13, 2007 Hannula et al.
7190987 March 13, 2007 Lindekugel
7192403 March 20, 2007 Russell et al.
7197357 March 27, 2007 Istvan et al.
7198605 April 3, 2007 Donofrio et al.
7204250 April 17, 2007 Burton
7214191 May 8, 2007 Stringer et al.
7218232 May 15, 2007 DiSilvestro et al.
7220220 May 22, 2007 Stubbs et al.
7222624 May 29, 2007 Rashad
7224282 May 29, 2007 Terauchi et al.
7225006 May 29, 2007 Al-Ali et al.
7225007 May 29, 2007 Al-Ali et al.
7229400 June 12, 2007 Elliott et al.
7245953 July 17, 2007 Parker
7248905 July 24, 2007 Fukuda et al.
7248910 July 24, 2007 Li et al.
7254444 August 7, 2007 Moore et al.
7255475 August 14, 2007 Quinn et al.
7257448 August 14, 2007 Crowe et al.
7263393 August 28, 2007 Smith et al.
7270636 September 18, 2007 Lin et al.
7280858 October 9, 2007 Al-Ali et al.
7289837 October 30, 2007 Mannheimer et al.
7297119 November 20, 2007 Westbrook et al.
7303680 December 4, 2007 Connell et al.
7313427 December 25, 2007 Benni
7349726 March 25, 2008 Casciani et al.
7376454 May 20, 2008 Casciani et al.
7413305 August 19, 2008 Baumann et al.
7415298 August 19, 2008 Casciani et al.
7556601 July 7, 2009 Branch et al.
7636594 December 22, 2009 Watson, Jr.
20010000790 May 3, 2001 Delonzor et al.
20010009398 July 26, 2001 Sekura et al.
20020013538 January 31, 2002 Teller
20020042558 April 11, 2002 Mendelson
20020052539 May 2, 2002 Haller et al.
20020084904 July 4, 2002 De La Huerga
20020091335 July 11, 2002 John et al.
20020095092 July 18, 2002 Kondo et al.
20020103445 August 1, 2002 Rahdert et al.
20020109600 August 15, 2002 Mault et al.
20020124295 September 12, 2002 Fenwick et al.
20020139368 October 3, 2002 Bachinski
20020148470 October 17, 2002 Blue et al.
20020151929 October 17, 2002 Goto et al.
20020156354 October 24, 2002 Larson
20020161309 October 31, 2002 Marro
20020173706 November 21, 2002 Takatani et al.
20020173708 November 21, 2002 DeLonzor et al.
20030004547 January 2, 2003 Owen et al.
20030009119 January 9, 2003 Kamm et al.
20030009308 January 9, 2003 Kirtley
20030023140 January 30, 2003 Chance
20030036685 February 20, 2003 Goodman
20030065275 April 3, 2003 Mault et al.
20030086156 May 8, 2003 McGuire
20030120183 June 26, 2003 Simmons
20030122706 July 3, 2003 Choi et al.
20030125616 July 3, 2003 Black et al.
20030135127 July 17, 2003 Sackner et al.
20030144579 July 31, 2003 Buss
20030156288 August 21, 2003 Barnum et al.
20030171662 September 11, 2003 O'Connor et al.
20030176810 September 18, 2003 Maahs et al.
20030189492 October 9, 2003 Harvie
20030216728 November 20, 2003 Stern et al.
20030225323 December 4, 2003 Kiani et al.
20040002655 January 1, 2004 Bolorforosh et al.
20040007585 January 15, 2004 Griffith et al.
20040030258 February 12, 2004 Williams et al.
20040044545 March 4, 2004 Wiesmann et al.
20040054287 March 18, 2004 Stephens
20040054291 March 18, 2004 Schulz et al.
20040064097 April 1, 2004 Peterson
20040064165 April 1, 2004 Thompson
20040082842 April 29, 2004 Lumba et al.
20040092919 May 13, 2004 Ritchie et al.
20040100784 May 27, 2004 Willers et al.
20040102931 May 27, 2004 Ellis et al.
20040117891 June 24, 2004 Hannula et al.
20040144391 July 29, 2004 Brady et al.
20040147821 July 29, 2004 Al-Ali et al.
20040147974 July 29, 2004 Engmark et al.
20040149282 August 5, 2004 Hickle
20040163648 August 26, 2004 Burton
20040173456 September 9, 2004 Boos et al.
20040221370 November 11, 2004 Hannula et al.
20040230116 November 18, 2004 Cowan et al.
20040231772 November 25, 2004 Leonard et al.
20040236207 November 25, 2004 Widener et al.
20040236242 November 25, 2004 Graham et al.
20040242981 December 2, 2004 Pattisapu
20040254490 December 16, 2004 Egli
20040254501 December 16, 2004 Mault
20040267145 December 30, 2004 David et al.
20050001728 January 6, 2005 Appelt et al.
20050020919 January 27, 2005 Stringer et al.
20050027207 February 3, 2005 Westbrook et al.
20050029432 February 10, 2005 Bacarella et al.
20050041531 February 24, 2005 Sekura et al.
20050043599 February 24, 2005 O'Mara
20050043600 February 24, 2005 Diab et al.
20050043763 February 24, 2005 Marcovecchio et al.
20050049465 March 3, 2005 Wang
20050049501 March 3, 2005 Conero et al.
20050059869 March 17, 2005 Scharf et al.
20050070776 March 31, 2005 Mannheimer et al.
20050070778 March 31, 2005 Lackey et al.
20050075550 April 7, 2005 Lindekugel
20050080345 April 14, 2005 Finburgh et al.
20050085799 April 21, 2005 Luria et al.
20050090754 April 28, 2005 Wolff et al.
20050096557 May 5, 2005 Vosburgh et al.
20050101845 May 12, 2005 Nihtila
20050102167 May 12, 2005 Kapoor
20050113650 May 26, 2005 Pacione et al.
20050113656 May 26, 2005 Chance
20050113703 May 26, 2005 Farringdon et al.
20050114154 May 26, 2005 Wolkoweiz et al.
20050163412 July 28, 2005 Glebov
20050171576 August 4, 2005 Williams et al.
20050182458 August 18, 2005 Goedeke
20050188991 September 1, 2005 Sun et al.
20050190068 September 1, 2005 Gentry et al.
20050197548 September 8, 2005 Dietiker
20050206518 September 22, 2005 Welch et al.
20050215847 September 29, 2005 Heruth et al.
20050215880 September 29, 2005 Harrison et al.
20050215947 September 29, 2005 Heruth et al.
20050216064 September 29, 2005 Heruth et al.
20050216199 September 29, 2005 Banet
20050222522 October 6, 2005 Heruth et al.
20050228234 October 13, 2005 Yang
20050228248 October 13, 2005 Dietiker
20050228297 October 13, 2005 Banet et al.
20050228299 October 13, 2005 Banet et al.
20050231686 October 20, 2005 Rathjen
20050234312 October 20, 2005 Suzuki et al.
20050234317 October 20, 2005 Kiani
20050234518 October 20, 2005 Heruth et al.
20050240087 October 27, 2005 Keenan et al.
20050256523 November 17, 2005 Chen et al.
20050261594 November 24, 2005 Banet
20050268916 December 8, 2005 Mumford et al.
20050277819 December 15, 2005 Kiani et al.
20060009685 January 12, 2006 Finarov et al.
20060009698 January 12, 2006 Banet et al.
20060020181 January 26, 2006 Schmitt
20060030049 February 9, 2006 Bhimani et al.
20060030767 February 9, 2006 Lang et al.
20060036179 February 16, 2006 Miller
20060047447 March 2, 2006 Brady et al.
20060058593 March 16, 2006 Drinan et al.
20060058690 March 16, 2006 Bartnik et al.
20060064133 March 23, 2006 Von Arx et al.
20060064134 March 23, 2006 Mazar et al.
20060064142 March 23, 2006 Chavan et al.
20060064143 March 23, 2006 Von Arx et al.
20060074280 April 6, 2006 Martis et al.
20060074283 April 6, 2006 Henderson et al.
20060074324 April 6, 2006 Wu et al.
20060075257 April 6, 2006 Martis et al.
20060079794 April 13, 2006 Liu et al.
20060084848 April 20, 2006 Mitchnick
20060084852 April 20, 2006 Mason et al.
20060085227 April 20, 2006 Rosenfeld et al.
20060095032 May 4, 2006 Jackson et al.
20060100496 May 11, 2006 Avron
20060100530 May 11, 2006 Kliot et al.
20060100618 May 11, 2006 Chan et al.
20060122517 June 8, 2006 Banet et al.
20060122520 June 8, 2006 Banet et al.
20060124128 June 15, 2006 Deane et al.
20060125623 June 15, 2006 Appelt et al.
20060129039 June 15, 2006 Lindner et al.
20060132382 June 22, 2006 Jannard
20060133362 June 22, 2006 Stein et al.
20060142640 June 29, 2006 Takahashi
20060149132 July 6, 2006 Iddan
20060149339 July 6, 2006 Burnes et al.
20060167351 July 27, 2006 Isaacson et al.
20060173247 August 3, 2006 Medina
20060183980 August 17, 2006 Yang
20060184051 August 17, 2006 Hempstead et al.
20060189859 August 24, 2006 Kiani et al.
20060195026 August 31, 2006 Casciani et al.
20060195027 August 31, 2006 Casciani et al.
20060195028 August 31, 2006 Hannula et al.
20060211929 September 21, 2006 Casciani et al.
20060211942 September 21, 2006 Hoctor et al.
20060217604 September 28, 2006 Fein et al.
20060217605 September 28, 2006 Fein et al.
20060217606 September 28, 2006 Fein et al.
20060217607 September 28, 2006 Fein et al.
20060217608 September 28, 2006 Fein et al.
20060224040 October 5, 2006 Khait et al.
20060224326 October 5, 2006 St. Ores et al.
20060224421 October 5, 2006 St. Ores et al.
20060229510 October 12, 2006 Fein et al.
20060229511 October 12, 2006 Fein et al.
20060241358 October 26, 2006 Al-Ali et al.
20060241384 October 26, 2006 Fisher et al.
20060241510 October 26, 2006 Halperin et al.
20060247504 November 2, 2006 Tice
20060253953 November 16, 2006 Williams
20060258922 November 16, 2006 Mason et al.
20060264722 November 23, 2006 Hannula et al.
20060264723 November 23, 2006 Hannula et al.
20060264724 November 23, 2006 Hannula et al.
20060264725 November 23, 2006 Hannula et al.
20060264726 November 23, 2006 Mannheimer et al.
20060264727 November 23, 2006 Mannheimer et al.
20060264771 November 23, 2006 Lin et al.
20060276701 December 7, 2006 Ray
20060281984 December 14, 2006 Mannheimer et al.
20070032732 February 8, 2007 Shelley et al.
20070060808 March 15, 2007 Hoarau
20070073117 March 29, 2007 Raridan, Jr.
20070073121 March 29, 2007 Hoarau et al.
20070073123 March 29, 2007 Raridan, Jr.
20070073126 March 29, 2007 Raridan, Jr.
20070078316 April 5, 2007 Hoarau
20070100218 May 3, 2007 Sweitzer et al.
20070100219 May 3, 2007 Sweitzer et al.
20070106132 May 10, 2007 Elhag et al.
20070129622 June 7, 2007 Bourget et al.
20070149871 June 28, 2007 Sarussi et al.
20070260129 November 8, 2007 Chin et al.
20070260130 November 8, 2007 Chin
20070293746 December 20, 2007 Sarussi et al.
20080009691 January 10, 2008 Parker
20080076980 March 27, 2008 Hoarau
20080076981 March 27, 2008 Hoarau
20080076988 March 27, 2008 Sarussi et al.
20080076990 March 27, 2008 Sarussi et al.
20080076993 March 27, 2008 Ostrowski
20080076994 March 27, 2008 Hoarau
20080076996 March 27, 2008 Hoarau
20080081967 April 3, 2008 Andersohn et al.
20080139908 June 12, 2008 Kurth
20080143080 June 19, 2008 Burr
20080146890 June 19, 2008 Leboeuf et al.
20080165017 July 10, 2008 Schwartz
20080177163 July 24, 2008 Wang et al.
20080221413 September 11, 2008 Hoarau
20080221414 September 11, 2008 Baker
20080227349 September 18, 2008 Eyck et al.
20080228053 September 18, 2008 Wang et al.
20080230363 September 25, 2008 Yang et al.
20080316488 December 25, 2008 Mao et al.
20080319286 December 25, 2008 Ridder et al.
20100031904 February 11, 2010 Matsuura et al.
20100076337 March 25, 2010 Medina
Foreign Patent Documents
1306260 August 2001 CN
1657007 August 2005 CN
3516338 November 1986 DE
3703458 August 1988 DE
3705493 August 1988 DE
3744781 January 1989 DE
3810411 October 1989 DE
3927038 February 1991 DE
4429845 October 1995 DE
19632361 February 1997 DE
19541605 May 1997 DE
19939302 May 2001 DE
10029205 January 2002 DE
20318882 April 2004 DE
0127947 December 1984 EP
0204259 December 1986 EP
268850 June 1988 EP
0313238 April 1989 EP
338518 October 1989 EP
430340 June 1991 EP
463620 January 1992 EP
0531631 March 1993 EP
543172 May 1993 EP
0572684 December 1993 EP
0573137 December 1993 EP
578530 January 1994 EP
580385 January 1994 EP
775311 August 1994 EP
621026 October 1994 EP
0631756 January 1995 EP
665025 August 1995 EP
0695139 February 1996 EP
0721110 July 1996 EP
1048323 February 2000 EP
996063 April 2000 EP
1130412 May 2001 EP
1169965 January 2002 EP
1683478 July 2006 EP
1807001 July 2007 EP
1961324 August 2008 EP
2555744 November 1983 FR
2601137 January 1988 FR
2685865 July 1993 FR
834469 May 1960 GB
2135074 August 1984 GB
2390903 January 2004 GB
55024614 February 1980 JP
04057161 February 1992 JP
5049625 March 1993 JP
6014906 January 1994 JP
6269430 September 1994 JP
7001273 January 1995 JP
7155311 June 1995 JP
7155313 June 1995 JP
7236625 September 1995 JP
07336597 December 1995 JP
08111295 April 1996 JP
08112257 May 1996 JP
08336546 December 1996 JP
09010319 January 1997 JP
09154937 June 1997 JP
10314149 December 1998 JP
10337282 December 1998 JP
11259583 September 1999 JP
2000189440 July 2000 JP
2000237170 September 2000 JP
2001161648 June 2001 JP
2001190498 July 2001 JP
2001308576 November 2001 JP
2001332832 November 2001 JP
2001346775 December 2001 JP
2002065647 March 2002 JP
2003210402 July 2003 JP
2003235813 August 2003 JP
2003265425 September 2003 JP
2003275192 September 2003 JP
2004016659 January 2004 JP
2004065832 March 2004 JP
2004121549 April 2004 JP
2004159810 June 2004 JP
2004258761 September 2004 JP
2004337605 December 2004 JP
2004344367 December 2004 JP
2005013612 January 2005 JP
2005110816 April 2005 JP
2005111187 April 2005 JP
2005125106 May 2005 JP
2005143782 June 2005 JP
2005168600 June 2005 JP
2005266860 September 2005 JP
2006061178 March 2006 JP
2006066512 March 2006 JP
2006122693 May 2006 JP
2006297125 November 2006 JP
2007195816 August 2007 JP
2008119026 May 2008 JP
2003065871 May 2004 KR
2005106928 December 2004 KR
2132204 June 1999 RU
WO9001293 February 1990 WO
WO9111137 August 1991 WO
WO9115151 October 1991 WO
WO9118550 December 1991 WO
WO9220273 November 1992 WO
WO9502358 January 1995 WO
WO9506430 March 1995 WO
WO9512349 May 1995 WO
WO9615714 May 1996 WO
WO9616591 June 1996 WO
WO9641138 December 1996 WO
WO9720494 June 1997 WO
WO9720497 June 1997 WO
WO9736536 October 1997 WO
WO9817174 April 1998 WO
98/27865 July 1998 WO
WO9947039 September 1999 WO
WO0059374 October 2000 WO
WO0078209 December 2000 WO
WO0101855 January 2001 WO
WO0117425 March 2001 WO
WO0176471 October 2001 WO
WO0187224 November 2001 WO
WO0215784 February 2002 WO
WO02065901 August 2002 WO
WO02066977 August 2002 WO
WO02089664 November 2002 WO
WO03026558 April 2003 WO
WO03057030 July 2003 WO
WO03071928 September 2003 WO
WO03080152 October 2003 WO
WO2004030480 April 2004 WO
WO2004046673 June 2004 WO
WO2004084720 October 2004 WO
WO2005046466 May 2005 WO
WO2005079663 September 2005 WO
WO2006007231 January 2006 WO
WO2006017117 February 2006 WO
WO2006021956 March 2006 WO
WO2006094108 September 2006 WO
WO2007048039 April 2007 WO
WO2006110488 May 2007 WO
Other references
  • Soto, Denise A.; “A Comparative Study of Pulse Oximeter Measurements: Digit Versus Earlobe,” Master of Science Thesis, California State University Dominguez Hills, May 1997, 46 pgs.
  • Faisst, Karin, et al.; “Intrapartum Reflectance Pulse Oximetry: Effects of Sensor Location and Fixation Duration on Oxygen Saturation Readings,” Journal of Clinical Monitoring, vol. 13, pp. 299-302 (1997).
  • Izumi Akio, et al.; “Accuracy and Utility of a New Reflectance Pulse Oximeter for Fetal Monitoring During Labor,” Journal of Clinical Monitoring, vol. 13, pp. 103-108 (1997).
  • “Smaller Product, Tighter Tolerances Pose Dispensing Challenges for Medical Device Manufacturer,” Adhesives Age, pp. 40-41 (Oct. 1997).
  • Crilly, Paul B., et al.; “An Integrated Pulse Oximeter System for Telemedicine Applications,” IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference, Ottawa, Canada; May 19-21, 1997; pp. 102-104.
  • DeKock, Marc; “Pulse Oximetry Probe Adhesive Disks: a Potential for Infant Aspiration,” Anesthesiology, vol. 89, pp. 1603-1604 (1998).
  • Rhee, Sokwoo, et al.; “The Ring Sensor: a New Ambulatory Wearable Sensor for Twenty-Four Hour Patient Monitoring,” Proceedings of the 20th annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 1998, vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 1906-1919.
  • Yang, Boo-Ho, et al.; “A Twenty-Four Hour Tele-Nursing System Using a Ring Sensor,” Proceedings of the 1998 IEEE International Conference on Robotics & Automation, Leaven, Belgium, May 1998; pp. 387-392.
  • Ferrell, T.L., et al.; “Medical Telesensors,” SPIE, vol. 3253, pp. 193-198 (1998).
  • Rohling, Roman, et al.; “Clinical Investigation of a New Combined Pulse Oximetry and Carbon Dioxide Tension Sensor in Adult Anaesthesia,” Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing, vol. 15; pp. 23-27 (1999).
  • Yang, Boo-Ho, et al.; “Development of the ring sensor for healthcare automation,” Robotics and Autonomous Systems, vol. 30, pp. 273-281 (2000).
  • Rhee, Sokwoo, et al.; “Artifact-Resistant, Power-Efficient Design of Finger-Ring Plethysmographic Sensor—Part I: Design and Analysis,” Proceedings of the 22nd Annual EMBS International Conference, Chicago, Illinois; Jul. 23-28, 2000; pp. 2792-2795.
  • Rhee, Sokwoo, et al.; “Artifact-Resistant, Power-Efficient Design of Finger-Ring Plethysmographic Sensor—Part II: Prototyping and Benchmarking,” Proceedings of the 22nd Annual EMBS International Conference, Chicago, Illinois; Jul. 23-28, 2000; pp. 2796.
  • Schulz, Christian Eric; “Design of a Pulse Oximetry Sensor Housing Assembly,” California State University Master's Thesis, UMI Dissertation Services, UMI No. 1401306, (May 2000) 63 pages.
  • Yokota, Nakaura, Takahashi, et al.; “Pilot Model of a Reflectance-Type Pulse Oximeter for Pre-hospital Evaluation,” Journal of the Japanese Society of Emergency Medicine, Kanto Region, vol. 21, pp. 26-27 (2000) (Article in Japanese—contains English summary.
  • Gisiger, P.A., et al.; “OxiCarbo®, a single sensor for the non-invasive measurement of arterial oxygen saturation and CO2 partial pressure at the ear lobe,” Sensor and Actuators, vol. B-76, pp. 527-530 (2001).
  • Rhee, Sokwoo, et al.; “Artifact-Resistant, Power-Efficient Design of Finger-Ring Plethysmographic Sensor,” IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 48, No. 7, pp. 795-805 (Jul. 2001).
  • Gosney, S., et al.; “An alternative position for the pulse oximeter probe,” Anaesthesia, vol. 56, p. 493 (2001).
  • Maletras, Francois-Xavier, et al.; “Construction and calibration of a new design of Fiber Optic Respiratory Plethysmograph (FORP),” Optomechanical Design and Engineering, Proceedings of SPIE, vol. 4444, pp. 285-293 (2001).
  • Earthrowl-Gould, T., et al.; “Chest and abdominal surface motion measurement for continuous monitoring of respiratory function,” Proc. Instn Mech Engrs, V215, Part H; pp. 515-520 (2001).
  • Kyriacou, Panayiotis A., et al.; “Esophageal Pulse Oximetry Utilizing Reflectance Photoplethysmography,” IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 49, No. 11, pp. 1360-1368 (Nov. 2002).
  • Kyriacou, P. A., et al.; “Investigation of esophageal photoplethysmographic signals and blood oxygen saturation measurements in cardiothoracic surgery patients,” Physiological Measurement, vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 533-545 (Aug. 2002).
  • Irie, A., et al.; “Respiration Monitors—Pulse Oximeters,” Neonatal Care, vol. 15, No. 12, pp. 78-83 (2002) (Article in Japanese—contains English summary of article).
  • Shaltis, Phillip, et al.; “Implementation and Validation of a Power-Efficient, High-Speed Modulation Design for Wireless Oxygen Saturation Measurement Systems,” IEEE, pp. 193-194 (2002).
  • Warren, Steve, et al.; “Wearable Sensors and Component-Based Design for Home Health Care,” Proceedings of the Second Joint EMBS/BMES Conference, Houston, Texas; Oct. 23-26, 2002; pp. 1871-1872.
  • Matsui, A., et al.; “Pulse Oximeter,” Neonatal Care, vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 38-45 (2003) (Article in Japanese—contains English summary of article).
  • Nakagawa, M., et al.; “Oxygen Saturation Monitor,” Neonatal Monitoring, vol. 26, No. 5, pp. 536-539 (2003) (Article in Japanese—contains English summary of article).
  • Mannheimer, Paul D., et al.; “The influence of Larger Subcutaneous Blood Vessels on Pulse Oximetry,” Journal of clinical Monitoring and Computing, vol. 18, pp. 179-188 (2004).
  • Kocher, Serge, et al.; “Performance of a Digital PCO2/SPO2 Ear Sensor,” Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing, vol. 18, pp. 75-59 (2004).
  • International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT Application No. PCT/US2010/027914 dated Apr. 19, 2011, 18 pgs.
  • Wendelken, Suzanne, et al.; “The Feasibility of Using a Forehead Reflectance Pulse Oximeter for Automated Remote Triage,” IEEE, pp. 180-181 (2004).
  • Sugino, Shigekzau, et al.; “Forehead is as sensitive as finger pulse oximetry during general anesthesia,” Can J. Anesth.; General Anesthesia, vol. 51, No. 5; pp. 432-436 (2004).
  • Kocher, Serge, et al.; “Performance of a Digital PCO2/SPO2 Ear Sensor,” Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing, vol. 18, pp. 75-59 (2004).
  • Johnston, William S., et al.; “Effects of Motion Artifacts on helmet-Mounted Pulse Oximeter Sensors,” 2 pgs. (2004).
  • Branche, Paul C., et al.; “Measurement Reproducibility and Sensor Placement Considerations in Designing a Wearable Pulse Oximeter for Military Applications,” 2 pgs. (2004).
  • Heuss, Ludwig T., et al.; “Combined Pulse Oximetry / Cutaneous Carbon dioxide Tension Monitoring During Colonoscopies: Pilot study with a Smart Ear Clip,” Digestion, vol. 70, pp. 152-158 (2004).
  • Urquhart, C., et al.; “Ear probe pulse oximeters and neonates,” Anaesthesia, vol. 60, p. 294 (2005).
  • Bentley, David J. et al.; “Measure Pressure with Thin Film”; Paper Film & Foil Converter; May 1, 2003.
  • http://www.fcw.com.my/fujifilm.html; Jun. 25, 2008.
Patent History
Patent number: 8781548
Type: Grant
Filed: Mar 11, 2010
Date of Patent: Jul 15, 2014
Patent Publication Number: 20100249557
Assignee: Covidien LP (Mansfield, MA)
Inventors: David Besko (Thornton, CO), Edward M. McKenna (Boulder, CO)
Primary Examiner: Eric Winakur
Assistant Examiner: Marjan Fardanesh
Application Number: 12/722,355